Light fixtures are installed in different modes for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Often light fixtures are installed “overhead” to a ceiling or other mounting surface. Installation modes includes flush mount in which there is little or no space between the light fixture and the mounting surface and semi-flush mount in which the light fixture is positioned some distance away from the mounting surface. Another mounting mode involves attaching a light fixture to an overhead fan fixture. Overhead fans with lights are also referred to as “lighting fans”.
Light fixtures configured to be installed in a flush mount mode, semi-flush mount mode or as a part of an overhead fan compose a large portion of lighting applications in residential and commercial buildings. Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers that manufacturer, distribute and market light fixtures to be mounted in these three modes all face the same challenge. This challenge is the challenge of dealing with the number of units in separate packages that need to be shipped, warehoused and shelved in retail. The various mounting modes require entirely different configurations in the mounting portion of the light fixture. Consequently, a fixture design to be mounted in the various modes is generally manufactured, marketed and distributed in separate packages, one package for each mounting mode. This means that essentially one light fixture is manufactured, marketed and distributed as several different products, each product in its own package. Accordingly, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers are required to warehouse and stock a number of different packages for essentially one lamp design.
Providing and maintaining multiple packages for a single light fixture design consumes valuable warehouse and retail shelf space and limits the number of different fixture designs that the retailer, wholesaler, distributor and manufacturer can offer. Accordingly, potential sales of other light fixtures designs are also reduced because there is not enough shelf space in which to offer other designs for sale.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a combined light fixture mounting system so that a light fixture may be provided with one of several mounting modes in a single package.